The Closest of Friends
by Rellik 01011993
Summary: It took them five years, but Dom and the crew finally find Brian after he blew his cover with them.
1. Chapter 1

Dom was pissed at Vince for fighting the blond haired, blued eyed guy that had been coming into the diner for weeks. It seemed the guy was coming for Mia, but he'd caught the attention of the other Torretto.

He could hold his own in a fight though, Dom had to give him that. Vince wasn't known for fighting clean, and Brian had given as good as he got. Not even seeming to mind that someone was beating on him. Like it was more of an inconvenience that Vince was pummelling him.

"Hey man, he was in my face." He answered before Dom could even ask what the hell he was thinking. Considering Vince had started by throwing punches, it had been far more than _in his face_. Dom watched with curiosity as Brian shut down, no anger or rage staring back at him, just ice cold baby-blues.

"You work for Harry, right?" Dom asked, confirming what he already knew.

Brian nodded. "Yeah, I just started."

"You were just fired." Dom responded, not entirely sure what he was thinking. He wouldn't normally stick his nose in Harry's business, and he definitely wouldn't normally retaliate against someone who was only defending themselves against Vince and his temper.

Much to his surprise, Brian simply nodded and walked away. He didn't even seem shocked that Dom had just pulled his job and home away from underneath him. Dom realised he had been expecting an argument, maybe a chance to get a read on the guy, but he just shut down.

Damn Vince and his posturing, trying to stand over people who didn't _belong_. Just because the kid was new didn't mean he didn't belong though. Dom had seen him watching them with a kind of understanding he had never seen before. Most outsiders only saw criminals and thugs, they didn't see the _family_. But Brian did, Dom could tell. Not only that, but he seemed to know just how important it all was.

Dom went back into his office in the back of the diner, wondering what the hell he had been thinking. He'd been jonesing after the guy for weeks, and now he was going to get him fired? That was no way into someone's good graces. But maybe…maybe he could convince the kid to work in the garage. At the very least, he'd be around a lot more.

He could feel Mia watching him, seeing more than she should. She could always read him and usually it wasn't a problem, except this time. This time a little privacy would be good until he figured out what he was going to do, and until he knew how Brian was going to react to the whole thing.

Mia was frustrated beyond belief. Vince had just beaten the crap out of a guy for being nice to her. She knew for a fact Brian hadn't been flirting with her; she had noticed how he looked at Dom. He clearly had a thing for her older brother; she just hoped everything worked out alright. Now that Vince had beaten him and Dom had practically promised to get him fired, Mia was worrying that he might just give up and leave. And that thought terrified her.

Dom wasn't one to let new people in, but he deserved someone. Dom needed someone who would respect him as he was, rather than always pushing his buttons like Letty had when they were together. Mia got the feeling that Brian could be that person, who would stand by Dom no matter what and help him protect his family.

She hoped like hell that this guy was more loyal than most, more loyal than anyone ought to be. Because he'd need to stick it out for a while before he even knew he was accepted. Most people wouldn't do that, but Mia hoped he would. For Dom's sake. To survive their family, he would need to be that ridiculously loyal anyway, so maybe this was a good testing ground for the new guy.


	2. Chapter 2

Dom couldn't believe how close Brian had come to actually beating him. Show'd the kid could drive at least. He still managed to lose his car though, and Dom couldn't imagine that he'd be happy about that at all. Especially not to the guy who told him earlier that day that he was fired.

Kicking his ass in a race and trying to embarrass him in front of everyone was surely no way to make the blond haired, blue eyed guy like him. But that grin didn't leave his face; the guy obviously loved to race whether he was winning or losing his car. That was something Dom could respect, something he understood. They had common ground at least, that was more than he had had to work with before.

Not to mention he didn't let others change how he was feeling about something. He was happy from the race, and nothing Dom said or did would ruin that. Dom fell for him a little more; anyone who hung with him and his family needed to be able to hold their own.

Now he just had to try to figure out if the blondie swung both ways or if he was strictly into chicks, because Dom had noticed him looking at the girls on the sidelines. He'd had to hold himself back from staking a claim in front of everyone, just to keep the guy from making a move on anyone else.

Sirens sounded and lights flashed as the police moved in. Dom wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but this was his second favourite thing in the world. Racing and the adrenaline it brought was his first, the risk of getting caught was a close second. Not much else made him feel this alive. He trudged through day to day life for Mia, and so he could make it to the next race, the next escape from the cops.

x x x

When a car pulled up to offer him a ride, Dom was surprised that it was Brian that had stepped up and saved his ass. And soon discovered that the guy might not be the best in a straight race, but around the streets he was a natural, like he was born to get away from the cops.

The bullshitting about never having been in juvie was normal. People who had been in tried to keep it quiet, especially around people who knew your boss. Another thing Dom admired; he wasn't trying to claim he was tough just because he'd been in juvie.

x x x

When the Trans had shot up his car in front of them both and Brian didn't bat an eye, Dom couldn't believe it. It was like he was used to having people shoot automatic weapons in his direction. As if this was just any other day.

The more Dom saw, the more he was interested. The kid could fit into his life so easily…if he swung that way. But maybe even if he didn't they could be friends, there was no such thing as too many loyal friends, and they were hard to come by.

x x x

When he insisted that Brian come into the party, it was as much to rub it in everyone else's faces that he'd been brought back by the new guy as it was to welcome him. Handing him Vince's beer had been more about taking it from Vince and giving it to Brian; he hadn't expected the kid to drink it without a worry.

The smirk was back in place, he obviously knew what Dom was doing and didn't mind at all. He sat on the stairs and watched everyone, not interacting at all unless he was approached.

Letty tried to drag Dom away from the party, tried to stake a claim on him in front of Brian. Dom wouldn't budge though, just settled further into his couch and watched Brian sit at the edges of the party; eyes alert and taking in everything at once.


	3. Chapter 3

Dom was almost shocked when he showed up with a tow truck. He expected he would pay what he owed, but he hadn't expected anything to be arriving so soon after the last car went up in flames. Then he noticed exactly what was on the back of the truck, and Brian's calm smile. He had a trick up his sleeve here, he had to.

Brian watched everyone gather around the truck, staring at the rusted out piece of crap he'd brought in. "You owe me a ten second car, not a ten _minute_ car." Dom chuckled, crossing his arms. "Get this piece of crap out of here."

Brian shook his head, the last one had been worse than this when he first got his hands on it. "No faith! Pop the hood." He instructed calmly, not letting everyone's sniggers distract him. He owed Dom a 10 second car, and that is what he would provide.

Dom watched him for a minute with a gentle smile, a smile Brian hadn't seen before. When he turned back to the car, Jesse popped the hood and everyone bit their tongues. "You should have seen the last one when I first got my hands on her." Electric blue eyes lit up from the inside; obviously cars were his passion in life, restoring them worked almost as well for him as racing did.

x x x

The first time he came to the Sunday barbecue, Brian's eyes were wide and he just kept staring at all the food. "Don't worry man, Vince could polish all this off on his own." Dom reassured, grabbing him by the back of Brian's neck and guiding him to the table.

Brian sat quietly through the meal, eyes lighting at Jesse's version of _grace_. When the others got to talking about the old days, he just sat and listened. Didn't try to ask questions or tell any stories of his own that came to mind. Dom found it soothing to have someone around who wasn't always trying for attention. Not that he didn't love his family, he did, but there'd never been anyone so…self-contained.

After the meal was finished and the others bolted to do whatever they did with their Sunday afternoons, Dom watch Brian help Mia clear the table and insist on cleaning the dishes. Telling her that the cook shouldn't clean. Dom got the feeling that it was left-over from his time in juvie, he couldn't accept something if he didn't help out in some way, didn't _earn_ it. The others helped out in their own way, but Dom had never seen anyone help with the dishes.

There were too many leftovers for once, seeing as Vince had left in a huff at Brian's arrival. Dom was startled when Brian asked Mia if he could take the leftovers, preferably in disposable containers. Mia got everything together while the guys said goodnight. Dom was too curious to let it drop, why would a guy living in the back of a parts shop want leftovers? He didn't even have a fridge. So he followed him, at a slight distance, and found himself parked outside of a homeless shelter for teens. Brian was in and out so quick that Dom knew he had dumped the food and not waited around for thanks.

It was obviously something he did for himself rather than for praise. He hadn't stayed to talk to anyone here, and he hadn't mentioned it to Dom or Mia. It made Dom wonder what had created the concern for homeless teens.


	4. Chapter 4

As Brian spent more and more of his spare time in Dom's garage, restoring his 'new' car, Dom became more and more intrigued. The Buster could put Vince in his place or argue right back with him. He could talk shop with Jesse and follow along with what the kid was saying, which usually required a lot more time hanging out with him. Leon was easy going but distrustful of most outsiders, yet Brian didn't seem to have any trouble winning him over. Dom even caught him helping Mia with her university assignments on occasion, only to shrug off the suggestion he should go himself. It was the quiet calm and that lack of self-importance that got everyone.

When Vince tossed a bucket of water over him just before the usual Sunday barbeque, it took some coaxing to get Brian to take his shirt off so it could dry. Vince was teasing him about being uptight when Dom finally convinced him no one would mind, that they'd all done it more than once. He dragged the wet material over his head and hung it on the fence to try, keeping his eyes on the top of the table when he took his seat.

"What's wrong Princess? Embarrassed to go around without…" Vince teased, his voice drifting off at the end as he started to realise just why Brian had wanted to keep his shirt. His chest and upper arms at least were riddled with scars, Dom couldn't see his back from where he was sitting.

Brian lifted his head to meet Vince's gaze, lifting a brow in challenge. "What's wrong Vince? Embarrassed about seeing some scars?"

Jesse turned sideways in his seat so he could study Brian more closely, concern shining in his eyes. "Who did all that to you man?" he asked quietly.

All he got in response was a shake of the head and a soft "It doesn't matter." When Jesse took a breath to argue Brian smiled at him. "Seriously Jesse, it was a long time ago. Don't worry about it." Then he turned his whole attention to lunch.

x x x

Dom followed him into the house later, while everyone else stayed outside enjoying the sun and beers. "You're seriously not going to tell anyone about your scars?" Dom asked quietly, hoping he wasn't pushing too far, but feeling protective of the blond.

Ice blue eyes met Dom's gaze and he was intrigued to find no emotion there whatsoever. The kid usually had something cooking in his eyes. This was back to the same blank expression he'd worn after his fight with Vince. "Talking doesn't do jack shit about the past, so I don't talk about it." He answered, quietly yet so firmly that Dom knew he wouldn't budge on the matter. Would not change his mind.

Dom held up his hands, indicating he would back off. "Jesse…he doesn't have scars on the outside, but he's got them. If you ever feel like talking or want to help him get his head around it."

x x x

From then on, if someone wasn't treating Jesse as they should, Brian was the first to put them in their place. Dom hadn't seen him fight, other than Vince, until someone back-handed Jesse at a race. Before anyone else could do anything, Brian had launched himself from several feet away and tackled the guy. Over-protective-big-brother mode had been activated in Brian and he wasn't about to ignore it. Jesse was a good guy, he deserved to have people watching his back.

If one of the team were hassling Jesse and he'd had enough, it was always Brian who started pranking them, drawing their attention away from him. Even his smokes started to go missing more frequently than usual, only to reappear an hour or two after Jesse had wanted one. Dom knew Brian was trying to wean Jesse of the things, just as he knew the blond was still trying to quit himself.


	5. Chapter 5

There was an ache in his chest. Vince had almost died on the side of a truck, only to be saved by Brian. But the fear he had felt when Vince was on the side of that truck, and when Brian was jumping from speeding car to speeding truck, was nothing compared to what he felt when Brian made that phone call.

He could see the agony in the blue eyes as he revealed who he really was. Dom knew he had actually felt attached to the patchwork family, even if it had just been a job to start with. What Dom didn't understand was why he hadn't come clean at some point. They would have welcomed him anyway, if he'd just come clean about it all.

Dom watched in horror as the Trans rode up, Jesse still on the footpath screaming about how sorry he was that he screwed up. And then Brian was there, pushing Jesse behind the car and down so that he was well out of range. Dom knew he'd said some ugly things when he found out Brian was a cop, but all of those issues vanished as he watched the bullets hit the guy he was in love with. It took until that moment to realise he loved him.

He raced down the driveway and reached Brian before the Trans were even at the end of the street. "Brian?!" he could hear the panic in his voice but couldn't hold it back, couldn't get control of it. He knelt down beside him, noticing just how well blood showed in blond hair.

Brian smirked up at him, wincing when he moved slightly. "Is Jesse ok?" he asked in a whisper, obviously struggling to breath but his first concern was Jesse.

Jesse knelt at his other side, trembling. "Yeah, man, I'm right here. You saved my life, you know that?" he carefully took Brian's hand in his own, squeezing in an attempt to convey just how sorry he was that it was Brian bleeding on the footpath. "We better get you to the hospital." Jesse got up to find his keys, needing to help in some way.

"No," Brian forced himself to speak loud enough so that Jesse could hear as well. If he thought the order was coming from Dom the kid would argue. "You all need to get out of here for a while. My bosses have had their sights on you guys from day one; you can't be here when the shit hits the fan."

Dom shook his head. "Doesn't matter, we need to get you to a hospital!" he argued hotly. He had no intention of leaving Brian bleeding out on his footpath.

"So call an ambulance like a normal person and get the fuck out of here!" Brian argued, quieter now, the pain was getting stronger. He pinned Jesse with a stare while Dom pulled out his phone. "Try, _try_ , to quit smoking, yeah? I hear it can kill ya." When he received two outraged glares, all he did was grin.

When Jesse took a few steps away to call an ambulance, Dom leant down close to Brian. "Damn you for getting shot O'Connor, there were things we needed to discuss." He murmured, moving slowly so he could read Brian's expressions, he brushed his lips across Brian's. Coming away with the faint taste of blood on his lips.

Brian smiled up at him. "Well you could have picked better timing you know." He accused, scowling up at Dom. Jesse was standing beside them again, shuffling from foot to foot in anxiety. "Now, will you two please get the fuck out of here before you get arrested?"

Jesse shook his head stubbornly. "We're not leaving until the ambulance gets here, no matter what you say."

Brian glared at them both. "You two being here to get arrested isn't going to change whether or not I live until the ambulance gets here. Now, _go_." With great effort, and obvious pain, he pushed at Dom to get his point across.

Dom let out a sigh, what he said was true. And he obviously did not like the idea of his family being arrested because they waited around with him. He brushed a kiss across Brian's forehead and rolled to his feet. Jesse took off his outer shirt and balled it up to place under Brian's head and followed Dom to the Charger.


	6. Chapter 6

They found him working in Tej's Garage, watching all of the practical jokes warily from where he was working on a car. "Jesus, what's happened to him since we lost track of him?" Vince mumbled. This was not the same cocky, self-assured guy they had known.

Dom watched for a moment, his heart breaking at how much Brian had changed. "Only one way to find out." He strolled in Brian's direction. "O'Connor, we've been trying to find you for ages, man." He called out when he was still a few feet away.

Everyone else in the shop was staring intently at Dom while Brian froze where he was working on the car before turning slowly to face Dom. He glanced quickly around at the others in the shop before walking out the front door. "Follow me."

Dom followed him out the front, signalling for the others to wait where they were. This was going to be strange enough for Brian without adding an audience and the emotions of the others. When he was sure he was out of earshot of everyone, Brian turned slowly to face Dom. "What are you guys doing here Dom?" he asked quietly.

"We came to bring you home." Dom answered, figuring the most basic explanation would do for now. Anything to keep Brian from getting into a car and disappearing into the streets of Miami. It had taken far longer than Dom expected to find the man and he did not want to start from scratch.

Brian watched him warily for a moment before responding. "I don't have a home Dom." He turned to go back into the garage but Dom caught his wrist, shocked to see the ex-cop turn and take a swing at him, almost by instinct.

Dom ducked, let go of Brian's wrist and took a step back, raising his hands in surrender. Obviously grabbing Brian without permission was a no go these days.

"I know we said things that hurt you when everything came to a head, but you're family Brian. If you want to take everything slow, we'll hang around until you're comfortable with us again." Dom spoke softly, slowly pulling Brian's tense body into a hug.

When Dom released him, Brian stepped back. "Tej is having a…party out back tonight. You all can come if you want." And he went back to work.

Jesse was bouncing on the balls of his feet in front of the garage. "What did he say?" he asked eagerly, eyes wide and worried.

Dom shook his head. "We shocked him, but there's a party here tonight and he invited us." He tilted his head toward the cars, indicating they were leaving for now.

The others wanted to argue, but they'd seen Brian's body language when he walked back into the garage, and they could see the look in Dom's eyes. Now was not the time to push it, now was the time to back off and let everyone breathe.


	7. Chapter 7

While everyone else was in board-shorts or bikinis; Brian remained in his work clothes. The others knew him, knew he wasn't overly modest, and it made them wonder what had happened to him since they lost track of him. One of the strangers at the party noticed his clothes too, and threw him in the water before Brian could stop him.

Brian dragged himself out of the water, his eyes sparking with fury in a way his family had never seen before. Back in LA he had been hot headed, sure, but never violent unless in defence. Letty got between him and the guy who had put him in the water. "Come on man, you don't want to go fighting him. You'll have him on the ground in seconds anyway. Get your wet shirt off." She suggested quietly.

Brian stared at her for a long moment, blue eyes searching for something, before finally dragging the soaked material over his head. Dom's family stared in horror at what they saw. Brian was almost covered in scars, most of which had not been there when they had known him.

Dom stepped forward. "Brian? What happened?" he asked quietly, making sure no one other than their family could hear, though the Miami crew was staring as well. Brian obviously hadn't shown them.

Brian glanced at the people he had once considered family, before everything went to shit. "What? You thought Lompoc would go easy on an ex-cop?" he snorted in amusement, tossing his shirt on the back of the chair he had claimed as his own.

"Lompoc?" Jesse asked in a panic. "What the hell were you doing in Lompoc?!" he was hugging himself and biting his thumbnail, worrying about just what had happened to Brian since they lost track of him. Just how shitty had his life gotten because of them?

Brian shrugged. "Well they couldn't very well keep me on as a cop, after I let _the_ Torretto's go." He picked up his beer and settled back on his chair to focus on the racing jet skis and the money Tej was raking in.

"So they put you in _Lompoc_?!" Dom asked, his anger rising by the minute. "We started looking for you as soon as we hunkered down but we couldn't find you…"

The violence and eagerness was starting to make sense to Dom at least. Disrespect moved quickly on to getting a shiv in the back in Lompoc, Dom knew that well enough. These were survival techniques that he'd picked up and Dom knew firsthand how difficult those habits could be to break.

Brian's smile was off; it wasn't nearly as joyous as it had been before everything happened. These days he seemed to be more laughing at his shitty lot in life than at something amusing. "They didn't let it hit the papers; couldn't go admitting that they'd failed to apprehend the Torretto crew because a cop failed to make arrests."

Vince was watching him closely, obviously Brian had suffered far more than anyone else after everything went down. "Yeah, speaking of, why _did_ you let us go?" he asked curiously. The Buster had gotten on his nerves back in the day, but he was starting to respect him.

Brian shrugged, "They sent me in to arrest members of a crew, not break up a family that would do anything for each other. That shit is far too rare; I wasn't going to be the one to bust you guys up."

"So…when's the next race?" Letty asked, hoping to take some of the attention off Brian. She could see he wasn't liking all of the attention. It was making him uncomfortable.

Rome sat down next to Brian, handing him another beer. "Thanks brother." Brian saluted Rome with the bottle.

Rome glared at the people sitting so close to his best friend. The people who were the reason Brian wasn't himself anymore. "Brian doesn't race, not anymore. Only once since he got out." He answered when he realised Brian intended to remain silent. He could see the looks of confusion on everyone's faces and continued to explain. "He was in that shit hole for four years. The main thing he missed was racing, so when he finally got out and he didn't _need_ it anymore, he didn't go back. If they change their minds and chuck him back in there, he can survive because he won't be missing what he needs. He doesn't race because that's the one thing they would be taking off him by putting him back."

Dom's scowl grew stronger, hearing just how much Brian's life had been ruined. "What about family?" he asked quietly, so low that even Rome didn't hear. Family wasn't anyone else's business but their own.

Brian shrugged, staring off into space. "Not something I ever really had, so how can they take it?" He had never talked about his life before he came to them, and even if he had they would need to go over it all again to make sure what they remembered was true and not part of his cover.

Dom was standing before anyone realised he had moved. "You and me need to talk," he glanced around at everyone staring at him. "Alone."


	8. Chapter 8

Brian stared up at him intently for so long that Dom started to think he would refuse. Finally, he rolled into a standing position and lead Dom to his house boat. A shitty little thing that sat at the back of Tej's garage. There was nothing there that even showed it was Brian's home, other than a couple of shirts tossed on the couch.

Dom was in his face as soon as the door closed behind them. "What's this bullshit about never having a family? What the hell are we all if not family?" he asked angrily. He couldn't believe that Brian didn't think he had family, that he didn't have Dom's family.

Brian went to the kitchen, apparently no longer phased by people getting in his face, and came back with two beers. "I always figured that the minute you guys found out I was a cop, my welcome would run out."

Dom scowled at him. "We were pissed when we found out, sure. But you didn't act like a cop, you acted like family, with extreme cost to yourself. We've been looking for you since we realised you'd cleared our names and we didn't have to hide anymore, Jesse was looking for any trace of you even before that. We want you to come _home_ Brian." He brushed a gentle kiss across Brian's lips. "You think I would have let you into my family if you weren't special? You think that being a cop would come between any of us for long? It didn't take us long to realise we should have taken you with us, but by then we couldn't find you."

Brian watched Dom in silence. He hadn't forgotten what Dom and the others had said when they found out he was a cop. When he blew his cover in order to be able to save Vince and Jesse. He knew the betrayal of being a _cop_ was strong, but it wasn't like he had actually done anything to them. If anything he had protected them.

He shook his head slowly with a sad smile. "By then I'd probably already been shot, again, and taken into custody. Besides, I was…kind of in Intensive Care for a few months. Can't very well go on the run when you need to be in there."

Dom growled in anger. It had been bad enough seeing Brian shove Jesse out of the way of the Trans' bullets, but knowing the police, his own _team_ , had shot him? That was almost unbearable. Dom had left thinking that Brian had people to take care of him; only they had attacked him instead. Sure, he had expected they'd be angry with him, but Dom had thought they would come around.

Brian watched the rage build in Dom's eyes and couldn't believe it was for him, not at him, but _for_ him. "Calm down, Dom. It's all over with now."

Dom focused on calm baby-blues, bringing himself back down by using Brian's calm as a guide. "And besides all of that, you think I would have kissed you if I hadn't already forgiven you?" he growled, stepping in closer to Brian.

Instant confusion in those calming blue eyes. "You kissed me? You _seriously_ kissed me?" he asked curiously, his eyebrows bunching in confusion. When Dom nodded, eyes intently on Brian's, the blond realised what must have happened. "I don't remember anything from when I knew Jesse was ok through until I woke up in prison hospital." He admitted quietly.

Dom rested his hands on Brian's hips, pulling him closer. "Considering you were pissed I chose the wrong time, maybe that's a good thing. We can redo it." He leant in slowly, making sure he gave Brian enough time to consider and back out if he wanted to.


	9. Chapter 9

Brian was working on a car when he felt someone come into the garage. Hours before opening, no one should be here yet, not even other employees or Tej. That's why he liked it so much in the hours before dawn. Without really thinking of what he was doing, he had the intruder by the throat, pinned to the side of the car. It took him a moment to realise it was Jesse, a moment longer to override his survival instincts and let him go.

"Shit Jesse, don't sneak up on me man. Are you alright?" he sounded stressed, even to himself. Sounded like he was about to crack. The fact he had just had Jesse, _Jesse_ , by the throat almost killed him. He knew he had changed over the years, but he hadn't thought he would ever come so close to hurting Jesse.

Jesse nodded slowly, staring at Brian's chest. In the pre-dawn he could work how he liked, usually without a shirt on as the heat was already unbearable. Jesse was staring at the three scars where he had taken bullets for the kid.

"We were so offended when we found out you were a cop, convinced you were trying to ruin our lives. And look what we did to yours." Jesse whispered, not even trying to hide the horror as he studied the other scars. The signatures of Lompoc.

Brian shrugged, turning back to the car. He had always hated talking about himself, that's why it had been so easy to go undercover, but he hated it even more now. "I knew what would happen to me when I decided to go against the job, Jesse. None of it is your fault."

Jesse nodded slowly, leaning against the front of the car as he watched Brian work. "Sure, but you had to go through all of that without family. Thinking you were disowned. If any of us had ended up in Lompoc, we would have known we weren't abandoned."

Brian stopped working, staring intently up at Jesse before deciding to let the kid see why he had done it all. "You guys are all still together? Still got each others' backs?" Jesse nodded quickly. "Then it's all good. I figured I'd be disowned as soon as you all found out who I was. I knew I was going to do the rest of it by myself, but as long as you all kept together and safe I was happy with that."

Jesse nodded, hugged his friend and left him in peace. The thought of what had happened in the past hurt, but being able to hug Brian made it hurt a little less. They had found him, finally. And it would take time, but they would bring him home.

"You've said in the past how important it is to you, family. I don't get why… No one else could see that we were just protecting each other. But you saw that, you recognised it for how important it is. How?" Dom's deep voice came from the other side of the car and Brian realised he must have come in not long after Jesse had.

Brian shook his head and went back to work. Dom stepped in close behind him and pulled Brian into a standing position, holding Brian back against his chest in a hug. "You threw away your career, your life, to protect our way of life even though you didn't approve of the stealing. That's not the normal decision Brian. Why? What did you see in us that is so damn important?"

Brian struggled to get free for several seconds before realising Dom wasn't about to let that happen. The man was stubborn when it came to fixing issues in his family, and Brian was slowly realising that he was still a part of that family. "I saw family. Family where there is normally only users and abusers. The guys watched out for the girls and everyone looked out for Jesse. That ain't normal in that kind of life Dom." Brian spit out angrily, hating to admit something so close to home.

Dom loosened his hold a little, but still held Brian against his chest. "And how do you know what's normal in that sort of life? And why did you even care?"

Brian snorted a laugh. "How do you think they had my record ready so easily when they sent me in undercover? How do you think I got to know Rome, who was in juvie more than he was out? I grew up in that kind of life Dom, only there wasn't any family."

Dom felt like someone had kicked him in the chest. This man, this beautiful man, had been welcomed into his family and his heart, and he hadn't even thought to ask what kind of life Brian had growing up. What kind of struggles he had faced, and if he survived any horrors. He had taken that cheeky grin and happy-go-lucky attitude at face value without wondering if it was hiding something more painful. He had failed Brian when everything came to a head in LA, but he had failed him long before that.


	10. Chapter 10

Brian hadn't expected Letty to seek him out so soon. Things had always been a little tense between them, especially when Dom had started showing an interest in him. "Come on, man, we're going for a drive."

He glanced at her empty hands. "Where's your car?" he asked curiously, wiping his hands on a rag and putting his tools away.

Letty's eyebrow lifted. "Thought you'd be more comfortable if we took yours." She crossed her arms, studying Brian. He had changed a lot since LA, now he was more like Dom.

Brian laughed. "Don't have a car Letty, no point in owning one if I don't race, is there?" he smirked when she stared at him in shock.

She frowned in thought. "You had one back in LA…" she hinted, starting to realise the full depth of the changes in his life.

He nodded slowly. "I had a lot of things back in LA." He replied softly, he didn't like them seeing just how much things had changed, didn't want them feeling guilty for his decisions. "Come on Letty, we'll take a walk instead hey?" he suggested, hoping to distract her from whatever it was that was putting that sad look in her eyes.

They walked in silence for so long that he was starting to wonder whether Letty actually had something specific to say to him or not. Finally, she spoke up. "When Dom first insisted on letting you in, to everything, I was pissed. I was so sure that no one new could understand just how important our family is, let alone protect that as well as it ought to be protected. A newbie would bolt at the first opportunity, I was sure of it. And yet you protected our family, protected Dom, more than anyone else ever has. I wanted to let you know that you are more than just welcome in our family, you are _needed_. We all love you to bits man, even me and Vince. Especially Dom. When we couldn't find you…shit man, I've never seen him lose it like that. Not even when his dad died."

Brian nodded to show he had been listening but wasn't sure how to respond to that, or what Letty expected him to say.

"So, when are you going to stop dicking about and come home?" she asked bluntly, seeing he wasn't sure what she wanted from him.

Those electric blue eyes widened in shock and he shook his head. "Letty…you guys have known you've been looking for me from the start. Last I heard I was a piece of shit that no one wanted to see again, and then I lost everything else – all in LA. It's taking me a while to wrap my head around it all."

She nodded, a slow smile tugging at her mouth. "Just as long as you haven't already decided against us and you're just letting us run in circles." There was the teasing Letty he was used to.

Brian shook his head quickly. "Just…getting used to how everything is. And trying to decide if everyone means what they're saying now, instead of the reactions back then when you all found out I was a cop."

x x x

"Tej would be his friend, but Brian keeps him at bay, keeps their relationship professional. The only one he seems to be remotely close to is Rome, but he doesn't talk to him much I don't think." Mia spoke softly, mostly to Dom but the others needed to know too.

"He doesn't have his car or his apartment anymore either. They confiscated them when they arrested him, never gave them back. He doesn't even own _a_ car." Letty grumbled, it made her mad to think how badly he had been treated.

Jesse fidgeted in his seat. He didn't really want to tell the others what had happened in the garage, but he knew they needed to know. If only to be a little gentler with Brian than they had been back in the day. "I…uh, I kind of snuck up on him one morning. He had me by the neck before I even realised he'd moved and it took him a second to realise it was me. A second longer to calm down enough to let me go. It freaked him out, realising that he could have hurt me."

Dom nodded. "Lompoc can do that to a person. Never saw a cop put in there, but I would think it would be a whole other shit storm to survive."

Leon leant forward, his arm wrapped around Mia's shoulders. "So, we just tread lightly around him. We've had to do it for family before, just never expected to do it with him. But he's more than worth the effort."

Vince was nodding in agreement. "He gave up more for us than anyone else ever thought to, and he didn't expect anything in return. I say he's worth anything we can possibly do for him."

Dom nodded, pleased to see his family so eager to bring Brian back into the fold. So eager to protect him and help him in any way that they could. "It might take him a while to fully understand how serious we are about this. This place, it might not seem like much, but it's a safe place for him. Don't expect him to leave it too eagerly. Like he said to Letty, we've known all along that he's family, but he spent years thinking he was disowned."


	11. Chapter 11

Three days later, Dom found Brian beating the shit out of a racer. Someone who Dom had thought Brian was at least polite with. By the time Dom pulled him off, the outsider was bleeding considerably from his face, favouring his ribs and his arm looked broken. Dom had never expected to see such violence coming from his blue eyed man.

Once he was sure the other guy knew he had lost and the fight was over, Dom lead Brian into a secluded corner. Checking him over for any wounds; other than scraped knuckles and a rising bruise on his jaw, there was no indication Brian had even been in a fight. He wasn't exerted, wasn't angry; he had snapped straight back to his calm ice.

"Want to tell me what that was all about?" Dom asked in a rumble, pulling Brian into his chest and tucking his face into the crook of his neck. The fact that Brian didn't fight him, didn't tense but relaxed into his embrace gave Dom hope.

Brian shrugged. "He was dissing Leon." He said as if that answered everything. Had it been Dom doing the beating that would have been explanation enough. But this was Brian; he didn't fly off the handle for no reason.

Dom ran his hand up and down Brian's spine, trying to pull him out of his Snowman persona and back to being himself. Snowman wouldn't answer the questions; he'd shut down his emotions and push Dom away. "And as much as I like to see you guarding Leon, offending him wouldn't usually be enough for you to beat a man so badly."

This new Brian scared him; not because of how he acted, but because it made him wonder just what Brian had survived to turn out like this. This was a drastic change in persona for a grown man to make in five years. Brian shook his head. "I told him to shut it, told him not to dis my family, but he didn't take the hint. I've been hearing whispers since you all showed up; he was just the one stupid enough to say something directly to me. Best way to shut them all up is to shut him down completely."

Dom's breath caught in his throat, this was the first time since they found him that Brian had acknowledged that they were his family. He might still be wary of their intentions, but Brian's intentions were clearly what they had always been; protect the family at all costs.

"As much as I like seeing you protect family, cos that means you do still see us as family, I don't want you risking your neck too much. If he goes to the cops…" he shook his head. The idea terrified him so much he couldn't even finish the sentence.

Brian chuckled. "Nah man, he won't go to the cops. He's coming down off something, and he gets real itchy whenever anyone goes near his car. Drugs and stolen things? Not the type to go to the cops. He's more likely to wait for me in an alley, and I don't make a habit of alleys."

x x x

That was the first night Dom stayed with Brian, holding him close through the night, reassuring himself that he was ok. When Brian tried to sneak out of bed at three in the morning, Dom woke on high alert. "Something wrong?" he asked, sitting up and listening, trying to find what had Brian on the move.

He saw Brian shake his head in the moonlight. "Nothing new, go back to sleep Dom, I didn't mean to wake you." When he put a hand on Dom's chest to push him back into bed, Dom caught his wrist and fell with him.

"You don't have to handle shit by yourself anymore Brian. What's wrong?" he asked softly, pulling Brian into his arms.

Brian shook his head again. "Like I said, nothing new. Just the usual dreams and shit that come with them. It's been god knows how long since I've even set foot in Barstow, you'd think I could shake them by now." He shook his head, this time trying to dislodge the images in his head.

Dom tensed, realising it wasn't nightmares from prison keeping Brian up at night. "You didn't used to wake up through the night unless something happened…" he couldn't understand how he had spent so long with the man and not seen so many things.

The blond shrugged his shoulders. "I was undercover…I can't explain how I do it but, I can cut myself off from the past if I'm pretending to be someone else. I told the truth to you guys as much as I could, but those memories and those nightmares weren't part of the story. Couldn't be waking up screaming every night and expect you guys to let it slide." He was silent for a moment before voicing a sudden realisation. "Being around Rome so much probably doesn't help either." When he felt Dom tense in anger Brian laid a gentle hand on his chest. "He isn't the reason for the nightmares, but he was in my life at the time. Kind of a trigger I guess."

Dom relaxed a bit, overjoyed to feel Brian's hand resting on his chest. Touch by choice not by necessity, and he had initiated it. "Want to talk about whatever happened?" Dom offered, though neither of them had never been much for the touchy-feely talk. Maybe that was a part of why he felt he barely knew Brian now, he had never pushed for the blond to talk about himself. Had never dug any deeper than what was presented to him.

Brian sighed, shaking his head. "What has everyone been up to? I can see Mia and Leon are together, so are Letty and Vince. Do you still have the shop? Did you get 1327 back?" he wanted to catch up on what had happened to his family while he was gone.

Dom chuckled, easily seeing through the subject change. "I'll catch you up, but sometime soon you and I are going to have a proper sit down. I feel like I barely know you and it has nothing to do with your undercover gig." He brushed a kiss against Brian's temple to let him know he wasn't mad, and dove into catching Brian up on events.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning Brian led Dom to Rome, stared at his childhood friend for several seconds before mumbling "Barstow." and disappearing into the garage. Dom watched him walk away in confusion, not quite sure what was about to happen.

When he turned back to Rome the man's eyebrows were still lifted in surprise. "Shit, you're more important than I thought. Follow me man, you're going to want to sit down for this." Dom hadn't seen the guy be serious before, let alone solemn. When they found two seats out of the way of everyone else, where no one else could overhear, Rome started to talk.

"I know he was with you guys for a little over a year, and that most of his cover was actually just the basics of his life. But I also know Brian, and he wouldn't have told you even a fourth of what happened when we were coming up in Barstow. White boy doesn't like to talk about his past, with anyone, brings too much shit up.

"First time we met, he was ratting through the bins around my uncle's derby arena…looking for food." He hated telling outsiders about this part of Brian's life, always worrying that they would look down on him after this. But if Brian thought Dom was important enough that he needed to know…Dom had better treat Brian right or Rome would call in a few favours. "I tried to buy him some food, or drag him home for dinner, but he refused; didn't want to take a handout because I was feeling pity."

Dom's eyes widened as several things Brian had said to him started to make sense. Why he had been so genuinely offended that Dom was trying to sponsor his car. It hadn't been the undercover cop spitting about handouts and trying to give the right image, it had been Brian himself. It was a genuine reaction for him, one he refused to cut off even if it stuffed up an undercover op.

Rome smiled sadly. "Yeah, home boy still gets antsy about handouts. Anyway, my uncle had a garage as well as the derbies, so I told O'Connor that if he came by and cleaned up a bit, put tools away and stuff, we'd feed him. He'd be _earning_ what we gave him. He showed up two hours before we even opened, picked the lock to get in, and absolutely worked his ass off. I'd never seen that shop so damn clean in my life. My uncle was always cursing whatever tool he couldn't find, but that day…that day every time he cursed about losing something, Brian would pipe up and tell him exactly where it was at.

"I watched him though, while my uncle worked. We'd brought in extra food, more than enough for him to take some with when he left, but he didn't finish a single thing we gave him. He'd eat half and then hide some in his pockets. I could see he was hungry, could have eaten all the food we'd brought in one sitting, but he refused to even finish a sandwich.

"Asked him about that, years later when I could get a read on him sometimes. He said he was saving it for later, for when he couldn't get his hands on anything and hunger turned to pain. He'd been living like this for _years_ by then and it took me a long time to break him out of the habit, to make him realise that we weren't going to cut him off.

"Still…he'd disappear for weeks at a time before showing up again, skinnier than before he left. He told me once, years later, that he felt so guilty for taking what my aunt and uncle gave him. They weren't exactly rich, and sometimes money was tight. Brian didn't want to add an extra mouth to feed, didn't want to be a burden in any way. So he'd walk, come back when he had to in order to survive."

Dom was staring at his feet. "No wonder why the family barbeques made him uncomfortable to start with." Nothing ever went to waste, Dom wouldn't let it, but there had always been a lot of food around. "So who was _meant_ to be feeding him?" Rome was pleased to see the anger in Dom's eyes, that he cared enough to get pissed off about something from so long ago.

"His moms took care of him as best she could, but she was barely getting by herself. Not to mention that most of her boyfriends stole from her and beat Brian senseless half the time. So when he could find a safe place to sleep, on the streets or on a couch somewhere, he didn't go home." He paused, trying to decide whether or not Dom needed to know what he was about to tell him, then decided that Brian had asked him to tell the man about Barstow. "I found him in a crack house once, cos that was safer than home at the time."

Dom got up and started pacing, he couldn't believe how Brian had grown up, and yet he had still managed to be that happy-go-lucky guy when they met. He wondered how he had managed it. Dom's life had been far less horrible growing up and he'd been…well, he'd been bad enough that Brian had been put undercover to stop him.

"Don't get me wrong, his moms loved him, she was just…weak. When there was no guy in her life, she was a good mom, even if poor. She died while he was undercover one time and they wouldn't let him out for a day to go to her funeral." Rome scowled now. Of all the mistreatment Brian had suffered, the police had been the most shocking to Rome. People who were meant to support and protect had stomped all over his friend.

"So you understand his unease with family now. His moms was always putting some random guy ahead of him, and I was basically all he had as family. Then when he joined the force and I got raided…I blamed him. Wouldn't talk to him cos he was a _cop_ and I thought he'd ratted me out. I'd seen the way he grew up, watched him get himself thrown in juvie on purpose so that he'd have food and a bed for sure. The force was his only real choice, that or die before he turned twenty. So when he joined and I cut him off…you can see he hasn't had the best record with family. Especially family and his old career."

Dom shoved his hands in his pockets so Rome wouldn't see that they were shaking. "He figured we'd turn our backs on him for good when we found out he was a cop, but he threw everything away for us anyway. Took bullets for Jesse, made us leave him before the ambulance got there because the police would be with them. Went against everything he'd trained for in the police to keep our family together. And he was content with that decision, even thinking we'd disown him."

Rome could see the big guy trying to figure out _why_ Brian had done everything he had for the family. "He's seen some of the worst _families_ out there, and that was even before he started as a cop. When he sees a family that's like yours, like a family _should be_ , he'll do everything he can to keep them that way. Whether he's included or not. It didn't matter to him whether he got to stay with you; he knew you all were worth the fight."

Dom nodded slowly, hating to see Brian discard himself so easily. "What about Lompoc? Do you know what happened there?"

Rome shook his head. "Naw, naw man, white boy won't talk to me about Lompoc. He won't talk to someone unless they'll understand, cos then he has to say less about it. I get the feeling he's been waiting on you to arrive for that discussion."


	13. Chapter 13

Suki wandered over to Brian as he relaxed with Dom and the others while Tej barbequed. "You still owe me a hand with my car, B." she smirked at him. The others watched Brian curiously, the only other time he had owed anyone a hand with a car had been when he bet slips with Dom.

Brian shook his head, smirking at the tiny woman. "Not my fault you thought you could fly Suki. If anyone's to blame it's Tej – he's the one that decided raising the bridge would be fun." Brian stared back at her intently.

She nodded in agreement. "Sure, and he thought everyone would stop at that raised bridge. Didn't think some crazy white boy would actually jump it."

Brian shrugged. "Still not my fault that _you_ decided you could fly. I didn't shove you off that bridge Suki, you planted your foot and followed the tail lights. Didn't your mumma ever teach you it's bad to drive by someone else's tail lights?" he quirked a brow, taking a swig of Coroner and finally realised his family was staring at him.

Tej nodded in agreement from where he stood behind Suki, armed around her waist. "Yeah, that's also a deciding factor in why you don't race anymore. All of Miami knows the white boy is crazy and that he'll pull off stunts that everyone else would die trying." Tej turned to watch Dom for a moment. "You might be the king of the streets in LA, but here in Miami it's Brian."

"You jump _bridges_ now Buster?" Vince chuckled. "I always knew you were loco, but damn man!" He slapped Brian on the shoulder a few times before realising Dom was more pissed than impressed.

Dom pulled Brian into his chest, mumbling in his ear. "If I hear of you taking any more stupid risks with your life…" his voice shook slightly at the thought of what could have happened. The thought that he might never have found him. The thought of Brian dying thinking he had been cut off and discarded.

Brian shrugged, looking away from everyone. "It was only a small jump…" he murmured. "Besides, that was the first thing I did when I got out of Lompoc. Had to convince myself I was out, convince myself I was alive."

Dom grumbled something under his breath. "Well you're damn well out and you _are_ alive, so don't go testing that again or you won't be alive."

Tej nodded in agreement. He'd seen Brian take some unnecessary risks since he started at the garage, but he had no right to be telling him to pull back a little. "It did get him some pretty instant respect all over Miami though, and I hear that's one of the main deciding factors for your boy." He spoke to Dom, ignoring Brian's scowl.

Dom nodded in agreement. "That's what he seemed most hyped about when we first met. Apparently that's a constant thing he's after."


	14. Chapter 14

"Come on Brian! It would be awesome if we all went home for Christmas!" Jesse pestered excitedly. The cops had gotten in the way of the first Christmas they were meant to have with Brian, not to mention the fact they'd all been worried sick about whether or not Brian would survive the bullets he took for Jesse.

Dom could see the panic rising in Brian's eyes, the worry and uncertainty. He pulled him aside. "I know you don't have a lot of experience with this sort of stuff, but we'll all be there. You don't have to get anyone anything, given that you gave us all our freedom the last time we were all together for Christmas."

Brian nodded slowly, "Ok, but we need to tell them about…how I grew up. So they know why I don't know things. There's going to be more than Christmas time that it raises its head Dom."

When they went back to the group Jesse started jumping around. "Yes! You're finally coming home! Christmas is going to be soooo much better this year!" he scowled at the ground for a moment. "We been missing you man, especially at Christmas. Family is 'sposed to be whole at Christmas time."

Brian smiled awkwardly at Jesse. "Thanks man, means a lot. But there's some things you all need to know before we leave." He took a deep breath to steady himself and jumped right in. "You guys don't really know much about me before I met you, and that would have been the case whether I was undercover or not; I don't talk about it, to the point that I got Rome to tell Dom about it." He paused, glancing around at the faces before him. "My dad split while mum was mid-labour, and my mum wasn't a woman who could do life alone. We were poor, with points of _too broke to buy food_ because one of her boyfriends left and took her disability cheque with him. So long story short…there was a rotation of abusive, thieving assholes through the house, rarely enough money for food and on occasion they'd kick me out for a while. So, if I do something that isn't _family_ , it's cos I don't know. I'm content to follow you all with your Christmases and whatever, but I've never had one before."

He stared tensely at the ground for several minutes before glancing up at the others. "I know it probably won't be an issue, but I need to put it out there...anyone tries to throw my undercover stint in my face, I walk. I didn't turn you guys in, I didn't turn on you in any way, and I won't live the rest of my life being drowned in it. I went to Lompoc and got you all cleared. You bring it up to diss me in any way, I am gone. No talking or discussing, no fists, just gone."

Everyone paled at the thought, too shocked to speak, but Brian didn't need a response. He'd said his piece, and walked into the garage to finish working on his current project. He might be going home, but no way was he leaving a half finished job behind.

x x x

Brian walked into the house and felt himself relax, some of the tension he'd been carrying for five years melted away. He made his way to the spare room, only to have Dom pull him back and guide him to the master bedroom. Dom's room. "Dom?" he was confused, he had been planning to crash in one of the spare rooms tonight and go looking for a place to stay tomorrow.

Dom lifted an eyebrow. "You're staying here, with all of us. We just got you back Brian, no way in hell am I letting you leave again." that expression that just dared him to argue. "Besides, we said we wanted you _home_. This is home."

Before Brian could respond there was a tow truck pulling up out front, he watched as Dom's eyes widened in shock as he realised what was on the back of that truck. "Rome was out when I went into Lompoc. I asked him to keep an eye out for the auction, and to win it at any cost. I've been trying to find you guys since I got out so I could return it to you…" Brian explained quietly, remaining at Dom's doorway.

"Dom!" Leon shouted from downstairs. "You didn't tell us you found the Charger man!" he sounded excited and stunned.

Dom snagged Brian's hand on his way past and down the stairs, finding the whole family at the front door, staring in awe. "Because I didn't find it. Brian set Rome with a task before he went into Lompoc."

When everyone turned to stare at the blond he shrugged his shoulders. "What? It's important to Dom." He turned serious blue eyes on Dom. "But if you _ever_ try to race a train again…"

x x x

Brian had been home for a week and he was lying in Dom's arms, watching the dark outside give way to daylight. He felt Dom stirring, never one to sleep past sunrise, and turned his head slightly.

"You know…when I was getting to know you guys, Mia described you as gravity – everyone gets pulled in. Got me to thinking, even throw away things are kept by gravity, that's when I first started thinking about forgetting the job." His smile was happy but it broke Dom's heart.

"You _are not_ a throw away, and anyone who ever thought you were was a fucking idiot." He pulled Brian closer on the mattress until he was tucked into Dom's side.


	15. Chapter 15

Brian stood barefoot in the kitchen in a pair of faded blue jeans that were riding low on his hips, poking at the bacon in the frying pan. Dom stepped in close behind him, wrapped his arms around Brian's waist and pressed a kiss into his shoulder. When the blond startled and reached for a shirt that was hanging on the back of a kitchen chair Dom shook his head.

"You were comfortable around us once before, I want you to be again." Brian stood in front of the frying pan, wrapped in Dom's arms, tense and not sure what to do. None of them had really seen his scars, not in good lighting with plenty of time to study them, and he had hoped to keep it that way for a while at least. They'd been home for a week and apparently that was as long as he was going to get. "It's one in the morning on Christmas, what are you doing up anyway?" Dom asked softly, resting his chin on Brian's shoulder so he could see the bacon cooking.

"It's raining…" Brian started slowly.

"Why yes it is Princess, but why are you awake, and waking everyone else?" Vince spoke from the doorway.

"And why can I smell bacon?" Jesse asked eagerly as he shoved passed Vince.

Brian grimaced, waving a hand to encompass his chest and back. "The scars hurt in the rain, sometimes I can focus enough to block it and sleep but…"

Dom nuzzled his neck, just behind his ear. "But you haven't been home long and you're nervous, not to mention it's your first Christmas." He murmured, receiving a small nod from Brian before he pulled away a little so he could turn the bacon.

Vince rubbed a hand over his face before stepping into the kitchen. "Well…shit Arizona." He had been pissed for being woken up so early on Christmas morning, now he felt guilty. "Anything we can do to help?"

Brian shrugged, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. "I'm really not sure. I've been uneasy since you all went on the run, I thought it was because you were being hunted and I didn't know if you were safe or not but now…." He grimaced. He absolutely hated getting into the specifics of his mind.

"Now we're all pardoned and safe, everyone is home again and you can see that we're all safe. Now you don't know what's making you uneasy." Mia murmured from the doorway. "So you don't know how to fix it." Brian nodded, focusing on the bacon and hating the fact that apparently the whole house was going to wake and be a part of this conversation he really didn't want to have.

When he took the last of the bacon off the stove, Dom gave Jesse the task of serving it out for everyone and guided Brian to the table. "Is it because we took so long to find you? You still worrying that we're going to change our minds about you still being a part of the family?" Brian shook his head instantly, he'd accepted that before he agreed to come home.

"Is it not having a family before? Cos now that we all know about that it won't be a problem hey. We all know that if you do something funky it's cos you don't know any better." Jesse piped up from the kitchen counter.

Brian smiled over at the friend who felt more like a younger brother. "Nah man, I stopped worrying about that the minute I told you all about it."

Letty shuffled into the kitchen, glanced around and realised all the seats were taken and plopped herself into Vince's lap. "We don't jack trucks anymore, if that's what has you worrying. Still not _completely_ legal, but we don't do anything that's draw specific attention to us."

Brian grinned. "While that is a relief, I don't _think_ that's what's been bothering me. The only reason it really bothered me last time was because I was supposed to bust you all for it."

Dom had been staring intently, trying to think of just what might be bothering him, and now he had an idea. "Last time we were all together, you got shot and arrested, thrown into Lompoc. You worrying we're gonna get split up again, worrying that the cops around here will hassle you?"

Brian started to shake his head before going perfectly still, wide eyes on Dom. Ever so slowly he started to nod. "I think so, yeah. I was a _cop_ last time and I couldn't stop it from happening." He grimaced. "The cops that I was working with wanted to kill me when they found out I let you all go. Don't want them putting me back in there…or hassling you all, making your lives miserable."

Dom nodded. "Don't know how, but we'll make sure over the next few days that you're going to be safe. That they won't trouble you." He pulled Brian into his arms. "Meanwhile, I hear warmth is good for aching scars. Blankets and spooning should help out before we have to open presents…" he walked out of the kitchen with his arm around Brian's shoulder, guiding him to their room.


End file.
